Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: In a significant relief to IAS officer Pooja Singhal, the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court in Ranchi has rejected the Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s plea that sought to bar her from holding any government department. The court delivered its verdict after hearing arguments from both ED and Pooja Singhal’s legal team.
The ED had filed a petition requesting the court to prevent the Jharkhand government from assigning any department to Pooja Singhal, arguing that she could misuse her position to influence the case. However, the court ruled that the authority to allocate postings lies with the state government, and judicial intervention is not required.
Pooja Singhal, an accused in the MNREGA scam, was arrested by the ED on May 11, 2022. Earlier, on May 5, 2022, the ED conducted raids at 25 locations linked to her, recovering unaccounted cash and crucial investment details. The agency also seized ₹19.31 crore in cash from the residence and office of her chartered accountant, Suman Singh.
On December 7, 2023, Pooja Singhal was released from jail under BNS law. While she remains an accused in the money laundering case, legal provisions allowed her suspension to be revoked, and she is no longer under judicial custody. Following her release, the Jharkhand government appointed her as the IT Secretary.
